TOURISM IS BIG BUSINESS IN BUFFALO AND ERIE COUNTY, AND IT’S GETTING BIGGER WITH EACH PASSING YEAR. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in new tourism assets and attractions in the last ten years, in projects as diverse as Canalside and the Martin House Complex. More than a dozen new hotel projects – large and small, city and suburban – have just opened their doors or are in various stages of planning and construction. Our region’s tourism industry employs more people, supports more families and generates more tax dollars than ever before.
VISIT BUFFALO NIAGARA WORKS TO GROW VISITOR SPENDING. By bringing conventions, amateur athletic events and group tours to Western New York, Visit Buffalo Niagara generated more than $164 MILLION in economic impact in 2016.
37.75
$
1
TO $
For every $1 invested, Visit Buffalo Niagara
RETURNED $37.75 TO THE COMMUNITY.
...and, a greater investment equals a greater return. PHOTOS BY ERIC FRICK
Tourism in Erie County is a more than
$1.7 BILLION INDUSTRY,
spent across a diverse range of sectors.
311
172
$
$
MILLION
MILLION
IN LODGING
614
$
MILLION
IN FOOD & BEVERAGE
235
$
MILLION
IN TRANSPORTATION
Tourism creates
THOUSANDS OF JOBS in Erie County.
324
TAX RELIEF
to every Erie County household.
In Erie County, tourism is the fifth largest industry, employing
30,826 people directly and indirectly.
IN RECREATION
$
Tourism provides
VISITOR SPENDING
$207, 790,734
was generated in sales taxes paid by visitors in 2015, reducing the tax burden on every household in Erie County by over $500.
MILLION
IN ANNUAL TAX RELIEF
IN RETAIL & SERVICE
17
$
MILLION
IN SECOND HOMES
548
$
PER HOUSEHOLD
30,826 JOBS
Economic impact and spending data sourced from Economic Impact of Tourism in New York, 2015 Calendar Year by Tourism Economics
Households are defined as all persons who occupy a housing unit as their usual place of residence. According to the US Census 2010-2014, there were 381,783 households in Erie County. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36029.html